Craps Strategy and Craps Rules Casino Guide

Specific Craps Rules and Craps Strategy

Craps is always played with 2 dice, which are rolled at the same time. Combined dice results of 2, 3, 7, 11 and 12 have a special connotation in Craps. Moreover, combined dice results of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 are denoted as the "place". The player who rolls the dice in craps, is known as a "shooter".

In craps, rolling a combined "7" is the most important roll outcome that one can obtain. A number of bets in craps stipulate that a combined dice combination will or will not be rolled out before 7 is rolled. In this particular case, they are winners, otherwise they are losers.

A "hard" roll occurs when both dice have identical values. A "soft" roll occurs when the 2 dice values are not the same. For example, 2 and 2 will are considered a "hard 4", and 6 and 1 will contitute a "soft 7". When the sum of both dice produce a 2, 3 or 12, this is known as "craps".

The most common bets in craps are the "pass line bet" and the "don't pass line bet". When one of these types of bets wins, the other type always loses. These types of bets pay even money. Next, the winning bet returns to the wager along with the win that is equal to the amount of the bet.

The Craps game then proceeds as follows:

Bets are made. You can only make pass line/don't pass line bets from this juncture (i.e., not after the initial roll is made). The player makes an initial roll that is termed the "come out" roll. If the combined "come out" roll is either 7 or 11, the "pass line bet" is wins and the "don't pass line bet" losesr. If 2 or 3 is rolled instead, the "don't pass line bet" is a winner, and the "pass line bet" is a loser. If 12 is rolled, the "pass line bet" loses and the "don't pass line" is pushed - 12 is considered a tie, and the "don't pass line bets" return to the player. Either way, the craps round has completed.

If a player did not roll any of the special results (that is, the result of the "come out" roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10), then the roll result is called "the point". A white puck which is labeled as "ON" is placed above the number in the betting table that became the point. You can now back up your pass/don't pass line bet with what is called a free odds bet. Free odds bets are always considered supplementary in nature. Here, you can only augment your previous pass/don't pass line bet. When the point is established, the "pass line bets" can only be a winner if rolling the point again before rolling a 7 is accomplished. By the shooter rolling a 7, the "pass line bet" loses and the "don't pass line bet" wins. The shooter keeps rolling the dice until either a 7 or the point is hit (termed as "shooting for the point"). Players can make bets between these rolls.

Here are some other nuances of the game and Craps strategies on how to play Craps online:

• Big 6 and Big 8 bets are located in the bottom left corner of the betting table. You can use this square to bet on 6 or 8 being rolled before a 7. The big bets are considered even. Unresolved bets may also be removed at this time.

• The field bets are located just above the "don't pass line bet" bar. They represent the roll outcomes for 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Notice that 2 and 12 are marked as "double" on the table: if 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 is rolled you win even money. If 2 or 12 is rolled you win double money. If 5, 6, 7 or 8 is rolled you are a loser. The field bets are termed "next roll" bets because they get resolved during the very next roll.

• The come/don't come bet repeat the pass line/don't pass line bets that are played once the point is set. Individual come/don't come bets have their own points that are called "come points". After the point is established, a player can bet on the come/don't come bets. The next roll will determine the come point or victory/loss for this bet. 7 or 11 will make the come point win (and don't come bet lose). Just like with pass/don't pass bets, 2 or 3 will make the come point lose and don't come bet win. If 12 gets rolled, the come bet is a loser and the don't come bet is a push. Other rolls will establish the come point for this bet and the betting chips are moved into the come bar with the appropriate number. When the come point is set, rolling out the come point makes the come bet win, and rolling a 7 makes the come point lose. The don't come bet will win if 7 is rolled and lose if the don't come point is rolled.

• The buy bets is a bet that a field number of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will be rolled before a 7. The buy/lay bets are assessed a 5% vigorish. The vigorish is returned if the bet is removed or lost. Winnings are paid out at true odds: a 6-to-5 payout on numbers 6 and 8, a 3-to-2 payout on numbers 5 and 9, and a 2-to-1 payout on numbers 4 and 10. The buy bets are dormant when the comeout roll occurs and can be taken away, if they are deemed to be not solvable. Lay bets are the opposite of the buy bets - they stipulate that the given field number will not be rolled before a 7. The winnings are also paid out at true odds: 5-to-6 odds on numbers 6 and 8, 2-to-3 odds on numbers 5 and 9, and 1-to-2 odds on numbers 4 and 10.

• The place bet is a bet that represents 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will be rolled before a 7. The place bets are not looked at for the comeout roll. Rolls of 6 and 8 pay out 7-to-6 odds, rolls of 5 and 9 pay out 7-to-5, rolls of 4 and 10 pay out 9-to-5. A place bet to win says that the number will be rolled before a 7. A place bet to lose says that a 7 will be rolled before the number. Numbers 6 and 8 pay out 4-to-5 odds, a roll of 5 and 9 pay out 5-to-8 odds, while rolls of 4 and 10 pay out 5-to-11 odds.

• Hardway bets are single roll bets that bet that the result will be rolled hard before a 7; that is, 4, 6, 8 or 10 will be rolled in 2-and-2, 3-and-3, 4-and-4, 5-and-5. These hardway bets are not even considered at the comeout roll. If there are unresolved hardway bets, they can be removed. Hardway odds are as follows: hard 4 and hard 10 are 7-to-1, hard 6 and hard 8 are 9-to-1.

• Proposition bets can be found in the middle of the betting table. As well as the hardways bets, they are single roll bets. An any 7 bet is a bet that the next roll will be 7. You win 4-to-1 in the event that it is. Any 11 bet is the same for 11 and the payout is 15-to-1 odds. Any craps bet as that during the next roll a crap number will roll out (that is, 2, 3 or 12). If it does, you win 7-to-1 odds. Horn bet says that the next roll will amount in 2, 3, 11 or 12. 3 and 11 pay 15-to-1, 2 and 12 pay 30-to-1.

Craps Dice Total Odds

The following table depicts the Odds of rolling various combinations of dice in Craps:

Craps Table

The following is a replica of a Craps Strategy table.

Other Craps References

To learn more about Craps, visit the Learn How to Play Craps website, which is a free site to learn how to play craps, learn craps rules, strategy, and betting. All aspects of rules of craps, craps bet, and how to win at craps, can be found at this site.